Topic: Inside App Extensions

A new media narrative is unfolding, replete with statistics all seeking to provide evidence that Apple's success with native apps is over. There's no clear agreement on what exactly will take over--Chat Bots, Voice Assistants, the Web, Augmented Reality or some new and unknown successor--but it is clear that the loser must be Apple. It has to be, because it's desperately needed by Apple's rivals.

Developers building support for their ride sharing apps to plug into iOS 10's Siri can be supported within Maps as well, thanks to integrated efforts between the two teams to share a mechanism for deciphering and responding to user intent, whether driven by voice or the multitouch interface.

Two years ago, Apple introduced App Extensions to enable third party developers to add system-wide features using a secure new architecture. This year, iOS 10 brings App Extensions to Siri, enabling developers to teach Siri how to expand its capabilities.

Building on work completed last year to enable Web Content Blockers, Apple's new Safari 10 enables a wide range of native code App Extensions that users can automatically obtain and update through the Mac App Store, contributing to faster performance, enhanced security and better reliability.

Rumors of iPhone 7 have so far revolved around purportedly leaked schematics and part images, which only allude to obvious potential hardware changes (a dual lens camera, an iPad Pro-like Smart Connector and replacing the legacy headphone jack with Lightning). However, many of Apple's biggest iPhone leaps have been externally invisible, driven by software advances unlocking the power of advanced silicon hardware inside, many of which debuted at WWDC.

Last year, Apple introduced App Extensions to enable third party developers to add system-wide features using a secure new architecture. This year, iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan introduce a new Content Blockers category of App Extensions, specifically targeting Safari.

Apple's platform policies for iOS, OS X and their respective App Stores have occasionally irked developers or even wildly disrupted their businesses. The latest collision involves a retroactive ban on widget calculators and tightened WiFi privacy rules for iOS, as Apple issues new rules for apps using Apple Pay and TestFlight.

At WWDC, Apple unveiled a new App Extension architecture for both iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite. Here's how the new feature enables new and existing web services to extend iOS and OS X to support social sharing of documents, websites, photos and other media.

At WWDC, Apple unveiled a new App Extension architecture for both iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite. Here's how the new extensions enable a new type of widgets in Notification Center for both platforms, along with enabling third party Custom Keyboards for iOS.

At WWDC, Apple unveiled a new App Extension architecture for both iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite. Here's how the new extensions will change photo editing on both platforms, where the new Photos app will replace today's iPhoto and Aperture.